I just ran across this very in-depth article that introduces us to a new team, the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, who hopes to rewrite the record books when it comes to solar aviation. They are doing so with a rather small airplane (compared to previous solar fliers) known as SunSailor.

The article goes on to give a primer on past solar flight attempts and triumphs. UAVs, or unmanned aircrafts, hold out an intriguing possibility for military use, as UAVs can spare the lives of pilots who can control the vehicles from the ground. Aircrafts powered solely by solar energy is something that is of interest to the green community, due to their lack of emissions.

Lastly, an interview is conducted with the team that designed and built the SunSailor. Specifically, Professor Omri Rand, head of the faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion and Idan Regev, of the students involved with the SunSailor project. Hope you enjoy reading it.

[Source: The Future of Things]